Horace l



(No'ModeL) H. L. HEWITT.

GRAIN GRADLE Patented Jan. 29, 1889.

A TTOH/VEY PATENT rrrc HORACE L. IIEXVITT, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

GRAIN=CRADLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 396,743, dated January 29, 1889.

Application filed August 25, 1888. Serial No. 283,799. (No model.)

T 0 a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HORACE Ii. HEWITT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, county of Marion, State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Grain-Cradles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in grain-cradles which are made detachable from the scythe; and the objects of my improvements are, 1' to obtain a cradle oi? maximum strength and elasticity with a minimum weight; second, to provide means by which it can be readily and quickly detached from the scythe proper for the purpose of compactly packing them in small a compass as possible for shipment, and, third, to provide a means by which the parts, in case of loss or breakage, can be duplicated and interchanged with facility. I attain these objects by attachments and connections fully illustrated in the accompanyin drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the graincradle. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the snath-catcb. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the snath-catch through radial slot, showing the manner of sccu ring and pinching the scythetang. Fig. 4 is an inverted plan of the snathcatch. Fig. 5 is a view of the scythe-tang.

Fig. (i is a detail. view of the brace-rods and their conical fasteniugs. Fig. 7 is a view of the outer postsocket, and Fig. 8 is a view of the intermediate distance-piece.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several. views.

S designates the scythe-snath, of the ordinary form, having secured to its end the snath catch or fastening F, said fastening having the eye E formed on its end farthest remote from the snath, and engages with hook 7L, integral with the socket Is, secured to inner post, Ip.

H designates the snath-handle.

25b designate the scythe-tang for securing the eyebolt. The bolt Fb, screw 88, and cap a secure and clamp the snath-fastening to the snath.

15h and H1 are square holes formed in fastening to receive the toe of the scythetang T.

Rs designate the eyebolt radial slot, provided with the notches N on its top edge, into which. corresponding notches or raised portions of a washer, 10, mesh, thus providing a means of firmly adjusting the scythe in any desirable position within the limits of the slot without danger of slipping when the scythe is in operation.

15B is the top finger, inserted at its outer end into a socket, Ap, and secured by pin passing through them, as shown, and has its inner reduced end inserted into a post, Ip. It is secured thereto in any suitable manner, as by a pin. The outer post, Op, is inserted into the lower or vertical arm of the socket A19 and secured thereto by finger f, thus firmly bracing the outer ends of the top and bottom fingers.

11F designates the bottom finger, having its outer and inner ends slightly reduced and inserted into and secured to the outer and inner posts, Op and 1 respectively.

Op designates the center or intermediate post, firmly secured to the top and bottom fingers, 1F and ()F, respectively, said post being provided withholes spaced at regular intervals vertically, through which the intermediate fingers, f, secured at their outer and inner ends to outer and inner posts, Op and 1 extend.

13b designates the inner brace, secured to and swiveling in the inner post, Ip, at or near its summit. It is bent or angled, and is removably secured at its opposite end to the snath by a split coned socket or wedge, bw.

B B B are intermediate braces, similar to B1), swiveled 011 the intermediate post, Op, at regular intervals and removably secured to the snath at suitable points intermediate between the brace Bb and the snath-catch, to prevent grain from slipping off the cradle at its inner end.

bw designates the brace-wedges, formed like a hollow cone and split longitudinally for a portion of their length for the purpose of encircling and clamping the braces Bi; and B when pressed in brace-holes in snath.

Sp designate a hollow distance-piece having its bottom end beveled so that it will readily adjust itself to aproper bearing on scytheblade Blwhen the cradle is set at any slightlyvarying angle, and is provided with a bolt, 1), passing through it, for securing the bottom tinger to the scythe.

The post 01) is provided at its bottom end is secured thereto by a screw, Sc, passing through the scythe-blade El, and having its head coned on its bearing-surface corresponding with the end of the socket, as shown in Fig. 7. The coned inner surface of the sockets and screws permits the cradlebeingswung to any angle within the limits of these coned surfaces.

It will be seen that this class of cradle is not only simple in construction, but also durable, elastic, strong, and, being self-contained, is very easily detached from scythe and snath. This latter feature is of great importance in grain cradle construction, hereinafter dea hook formed on its base, engaglng with an scribed.

The cradle being self-contained and removably secured to the scythe and snath in the manner hereinbefore described is readily detached therefrom without distorting its parts.

\Vhen it is desired to disconnect the entire cradle from the scythe, the brace-wedges bu are removed by sliding them along the braces. Said braces being swiveled at their upper ends by the bends passing loosely through the posts are swung round till they rest against fingers f of the cradle. The socket-bolt f?) and outer post-screw, So, are, now unscrewed and the hook 7e unhooked, thus completely disconnecting the entire cradle. The scythe and snath may now be disconnected and the whole packed together, thus forming one compact piece of small compassa matter of great importance when packing for shipment, as it economizes space and permits of less delicate handling in its transit than if it were unremovably secured to the scythe and snath, as in many former grain-cradles.

The cradle herein described is preferably constructed of a good flexible tough wood, but may have its fingersf of iron, steel, or other wire. I, however, prefer to use a il'lexible tough wood for this purpose, as it secures a more flexible rebounding motion to cradle and is less liable to get distorted. I prefer to construct the braces l; B B and El) of steel, iron, brass, or other suitable metal, as they can be more firmly secured to the snath by the wedges 1120 and bent at their top ends to form pivots in the posts Op and I]7,l1(-316ll1l)6f010 described, and shown in the drawings.

I am aware that prior to my invention graincradles have been made removably connected to the scythe and scythe snath and catch. I therefore do not claim such a combination, broadly; but

\Vhat I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A grain-cradle havingits outer post provided with a socket with a coned or convex base resting on and secured to the scythe blade by a screw passin through a hole formed in said scythe-blade, said screwbeing provided with a head having its bearing-surface coned, and an inner post havinga socket with a hook formed at its base, engagin with an eye secured to the end of the snath and arranged to co-operate with said socket, having a coned base, and suitable adjustable braces removably secured at their ends re-. speci ivel y, to the cradle-post and the snath, all combined substantial ly as and for the purpose described.

2. A grain-cradle having its outer post provided with a socket-having a coned or convex base resting on and secured to the scytheblade by a screw passing through a hole formed in said scythe-blade, said screw being provided with a head having its bearing-surface eoned,said socket-base bearing on and secured to the scythe-blade by a suitable screw, an inner post nlonnted in a socket with eye secured to the snath, an intermediate socket-post having a beveled or rounded base and a bolt passing through it, and suitable braces secured at their ends, respectively, to the cradle-post and snath, all co-operating, combined substzmtially as and for the purpose described.

In a grain-c adle, the combination of the outer post provided with a socket having a coned or convex base, said socket-base bearing on and secured to the scythe-blade by a suitable screw, an inner post mounted in a socket, with a hook formed on its base engaging with an eye secured to the snath and arranged to co-operate-with said coned sockets, top and bottom longitudinal bars or fingers secured at their respective ends to the outer and the inner posts, a post interposed between the outer and inner post, to which cradle-braces are swiveled, and suitable braces swiveled to the inteii'posing post and the inner post by bends passing loosely through said inteii-posii'lg and inner posts and removably secured to the snath, for the purpose of adjusting cradle to any desirable angle, substai'itially as and for the purpose described.

a. In a grain-cradle, the combination of the outer post provided with a socket having a coned or convex base resting on and secured to the scythe-blade by a screw passing through a hole formed in said scythe-blade, said screw being provided with a head having its bearin g-su1face coned, said socket-base bearing on and secured. to the scythe-blade bya suitable screw, an inner post mounted in a socket, with a hook formed on its base engaging with an eye secured to the snath, top and bottom longitudinal bars or fingers secured at their respective ends to the outer and inner posts, a post interposed between the outer and inner posts, to which cradle-braces are swiveled, fingers secured at their outer end to the outer post and extending through holes in the interposin g post and secured to the inner post, a socket-post having a coned base and a securing bolt passing through said socket, scythe blade, and bottom finger, and suitable braces swiveled to the interposing post and inner post at their top bent ends and removably secured to the snath at their opposite ends, all arranged to co-operate substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. The combination, with the snath and the scythe attached thereto, of the upright Op, removably and adjustably secured at its lower end to the scythe at or near its on ter en d,the upright Ip, removabl y secured at itslower end by a hook formed thereon to the snath-fastening eye, the securing post or socket Sp, secured at an intermediate point between the outer and inner posts, Op and 1p, by a bolt passing through them, the socket-piece A17, havin its vertical arm arranged on the upper end of the post Op and pinned by finger f, the top finger, tF, secured to the upper end of the post O2) and inserted at its outer end into the horizontal arm of the socket-piece, said top finger extending inward beyond the post (pto the post Op, the brace Bl), swiveledin and extending from the upper end of the post Ip and remoyahly secured to the snath, and the braces l3, swiveled at regular intervals in and along the post Up and extending therefrom and removably secured to the snath, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. In. a grain-cradle, the combination of the snath and the scythe removably secured thereto, the outer and inner posts, Op and 1p, removably secured at their lower ends to the scythe and the snath, respectively, the top finger, 7F, connecting the upper, and the bottom finger, ZiF, connecting the lower ends of said posts, theinterposin g post Cp, connecting the top and bottom fingers, the socket Sp, supporting the bottom finger at an intermediate point along it and reinovably secured to the scythe, the brace Bl), pivotally secured to the inner post, 1 and reniovably inserted in and secured to the snath by the wedges or tapered sockets bzr, an d the braces 13, pivotally secured to the post (p and inserted in and secured to the snath by wedges bu at intermediate points between the brace 13b and snath-catch, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In. testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HORACE L. HEWITT.

lVitnesses:

T. R. BELL, War. C. Plnavrneror. 

